Sealing curtain assembly for door or window openings

ABSTRACT

A sealing curtain assembly for door or window openings having a pair of tracks attached to frame members which are fixed to a base, a curtain having edges slidably engaging the tracks and being reversibly insertable into covers over each track, and hinges on each cover, whereby the hinges facilitate the lowering and raising of the curtain. Each track has a raised lip over which the curtain slides as the curtain moves up or down, the lip maintaining a seal against air flow, even when the curtain is distended upon the application of pressure. The bottom of the curtain has a weighted member and the base has spring clamps. As the curtain is lowered the weighted member engages the spring clamps causing the covers to press against the tracks, thereby providing a tight seal against airflow.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The field of the present invention relates to flexible enclosures foropenings, such as doors and windows and, more particularly, to a curtainthat can be raised and lowered with a motorized shaft to form a durableseal with the frame of an opening.

2. Technical Background

The use of sealing curtains is known in the prior art. Generally, asealing curtain apparatus comprises a curtain and tracks along the frameof an opening such as a door or window. The edges of the curtain areengaged by the tracks. As the curtain is moved towards a positioncovering the opening, the edges of the curtain travel along the tracks.The benefit of this design is that the sealed curtain prevents mattersuch as insects and debris from passing through the space between thecurtain and the frame. However, the more tautly a sealed curtain ispulled across an opening, the more difficult it generally is to slidethe curtain along the tracks.

What is needed is a sealing curtain which provides a tight seal betweenthe edges of the curtain and the frame of an opening, but which is easyto raise or lower along the opening.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The sealing curtain assembly of the present invention has a pair oftracks attached to frame members of an opening such as a door or windowwhere the frame members are secured to a base. The curtain assembly hasa curtain having edges slidably engaging the tracks and being reversiblyinsertable into covers over each track. The covers are hinged to thetracks which allow the curtain to easily slide up and down along theopening. Each track has a raised lip over which the curtain slides asthe curtain moves up or down, the lip maintaining a seal against airflow when the curtain is lowered over the opening. The bottom of thecurtain has a weighted member and the base has spring clamps. As thecurtain is lowered the weighted member engages the spring clamps causingthe covers to press against the tracks, thereby providing a tight sealagainst airflow, even when the curtain is distended upon application ofpressure. The curtain assembly also has a rotatable shaft and motorassembly which will raise the curtain to uncover the opening or lowerthe curtain to close the opening.

An advantage of the curtain assembly of the present invention is aflexible curtain that covers the opening of a window or garage which isdurable and seals the opening from air flow.

Another advantage is a pair of covers which seal the edges of thecurtain along the tracks, wherein the covers rotate away from the tracksto facilitate the raising and lowering of the curtain.

Another advantage is a pair of spring clamps which bias the coverstowards the tracks to maintain the curtain taut and sealed when thecurtain is in a lowered position.

Another advantage is a curtain which can be raised and lowered with amotor to cover and uncover the opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the curtain assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows the cover and track of the curtain assembly.

FIG. 3 shows the design of the edge of the curtain.

FIG. 4 shows the cover and track attached to a frame member with theedge of the curtain inserted into the cover.

FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the curtain.

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the frame members with the tracksand covers attached to frame members.

FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the curtain secured in the trackswith the covers in a closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

While the following description details the preferred embodiments of thepresent invention, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of construction andarrangement of the parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, sincethe invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced invarious ways.

FIG. 1 shows the curtain assembly 10 of the present invention. Firstframe member 12 and second frame member 14 define an opening 15 of adoor or window. Frame members 12 and 14 are attached to base 35. A firsttrack 11 is attached to first frame member 12 and a second track 13 isattached to second frame member 14. A rotatable shaft 17 is positionedat the top ends of frame members 12 and 14 by attachment to brackets 18.A motor 19 may be attached to one of the brackets, such as bracket 18 torotate shaft 17. A flexible curtain 20 is attached to shaft 17 and canbe rotated on shaft 17 by motor 19 to wind or unwind curtain 20 on toshaft 17. Curtain 20 has a bottom or leading edge 21. The outer edges oftracks 11 and 13 have hinge elements 22. The outer edges of covers 23have hinge elements 24. The hinge elements 22 and 24 interlock to form ahinge whereby covers 23 are rotatably attached to tracks 11 and 13. Theleading edge 21 of curtain 20 has a weighted member 25 which is retainedwithin holders or spring clamps 26 attached at the bottom of base 35.The spring clamps 26 are flared or form a cam at their openings to guidethe weighted member 25 into the interior of the spring clamps 26. Thespring clamps 26 press against the weighted member 25 which biasescovers 23 against tracks 11 and 13.

Tracks 11 and 13 have inner lips 27 along which curtain 20 slides as itis raised and lowered by the action of motor 19 and shaft 17. Thelateral edges 31 of curtain 20 fit over lips 27 and are inserted intocovers 23.

FIG. 2 shows the cover 23 and track 13 disassembled. Cover 23 has anouter tab 28 and an inner tab 29. There are a plurality of holes 40 intrack 11 and track 13 to attach them to frame members 12 and 14. Hingepin 32 is used to connect cover 23 to second track 13.

FIG. 3 illustrates the lateral edge 31 of curtain 20. Lateral edge 31has a semi-rigid outer flap for insertion into inner tab 29. Lateraledge 31 is inserted into outer tab 28.

FIG. 4 illustrates the assembly of the second track 13 to second framemember 14, of the cover 23 to second frame member 14, and of lateraledge 31 of curtain 20 into cover 23. The hinge elements 24 of cover 23engage the hinge elements 22 of second track 13, and are locked intoplace by hinge pin 32. Cover 23 is, thus, hinged rotatably to secondtrack 13. This hinge assembly 16 facilitates the raising and lowering ofcurtain 20 along tracks 11 and 13 and covers 23. First track 11 isassembled in an identical fashion as second track 13. The curtainlateral edge 31 passes over inner lip 27 and is inserted into outer tab28 and the outer flap 30 of curtain 20 is inserted into inner tab 29.The opposite lateral edge 31 is inserted into cover 23 on first track 11in a similar fashion. As covers 23 press the lateral edges 31 towardstheir respective tracks by action of the spring clamps 26 on weightedmember 25, curtain 20 is pulled taut over the inner lips 27 of tracks 11and 13, thereby forming a tight seal over opening 15. If force isapplied against curtain 20, cover 23 will remain pressed against tracks11 and 13 with curtain 20 still maintaining its seal along inner lips27.

FIG. 5 shows a cross-section of curtain 20. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectionof the opening 15 formed by frame members 12 and 14. The tracks 11 and13 are shown attached to frame members 12 and 14 by bolts 41. The arrowsshow the direction of rotation of covers 23 as they are pulled away fromtracks 11 and 13 by, for example, raising and lowering curtain 20. FIG.7 shows a cross-sectional view of the curtain secured in the tracks withthe covers in a closed position.

The foregoing description has been limited to specific embodiments ofthis invention. It will be apparent, however, that variations andmodifications may be made by those skilled in the art to the disclosedembodiments of the invention, with the attainment of some of all of itsadvantages and without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent invention. For example, the scaling curtain assembly can beconstructed to cover any type of opening. The curtain can be made of anyflexible type of cloth, plastic, and the like. The motor may be operatedremotely to raise and lower the curtain. The tracks and covers can beconstructed to operate with curtains of any desired thickness.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials,and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustratedabove in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made bythose skilled in the art without departing from the principle and scopeof the invention as recited in the following claims.

1. A curtain assembly for covering an opening comprising: a) anelongated curtain having a first end mounted at a first end of theopening, an opposing second end that is moveable between the first endof the opening and an opposing second end of the opening, and opposinglateral sides slidably attached to opposing sides of the opening; b) atrack on each of the opposing sides of the opening, wherein each trackhas an outer edge and an inner edge; c) said curtain having a flapattached to each of said latter sides; d) a cover over each track, eachcover being hinged to said outer edge of said track, and each coverhaving an inner tab and an outer tab; and e) each of said lateral sidesof said curtain fitting over said lip of said track, wherein said flapengages said inner tab of said cover and said lateral edge engages saidouter tab of said cover.
 2. The curtain assembly of claim 1 wherein saidcovers are biased towards said tracks to retain said curtain againstsaid track to maintain said curtain taut.
 3. The curtain assembly ofclaim 1, further comprising said inner edges of said tracks having lips.4. The curtain assembly of claim 1 further comprising a weighted memberat said second end of said curtain.
 5. The curtain assembly of claim 4,further comprising spring clamps at the opposing second end of theopening to secure said weighted member and bias said weighted memberagainst said covers to bias said covers against said tracks.
 6. Thecurtain assembly of claim 1, further comprising a rotatable shaft andmotor to wind and unwind said curtain to lower and raise said curtainalong the opening.
 7. A curtain assembly for covering an openingcomprising: a) an elongated curtain having a first end mounted at afirst end of the opening, an opposing second end that is moveablebetween the first end of the opening and an opposing second end of theopening, and opening lateral sides slidably attached to opposing sidesof the opening; b) a track on each of the opposite sides of the opening,wherein each track has an outer edge and an inner edge, said inner edgehaving a lip; c) said curtain having a flap attached to each of saidlateral sides; d) a cover over each track, each cover being hinged tosaid outer edge of said track, and each cover having an inner tab and anouter tab; and e) each of said lateral sides of said curtain fittingover said tip of said track, wherein said flap engages said inner tab ofsaid cover, said lateral edge engages said outer tab of said cover, andsaid cover is biased towards said track to retain said curtain againstsaid track to maintain said curtain taut when said curtain covers saidopening.
 8. The curtain assembly of claim 7, further comprising aweighted member at said second end of said curtain.
 9. The curtainassembly of claim 8, further comprising spring clamps at the opposingsecond end of the opening to secure said weighted member and bias saidweighted member against said covers to bias said covers against saidtracks.
 10. The curtain assembly of claim 1, further comprising arotatable shaft and motor to wind and unwind said curtain to lower andraise said curtain along the opening.
 11. A curtain assembly forcovering an opening comprising: a) an elongated curtain having a firstend mounted at a first end of the opening, an opposing second end thatis moveable between the first end of the opening and an opposing secondend of the opening, and opposing lateral sides slidably attached toopposing sides of the opening; b) a track on each of the opposing sidesof the opening, wherein each track has an outer edge and an inner edge,said inner edge having a lip; c) said curtain having a flap attached toeach of said lateral sides; d) a cover over each track, each cover beinghinged to said outer edge of said track, and each cover having an innertab and an outer tab; e) each of said lateral sides of said curtainfitting over said lip of said track, wherein said flap engages saidinner tab of said cover and said lateral edge engages said outer tab ofsaid cover; and f) a weighted member at said second end of said curtain,and spring clamps at the opposing second end of the opening to securesaid weighted member and bias said weighted member against said coversto bias said covers against said tracks to maintain said curtain tautwhen said curtain covers said opening.
 12. The curtain assembly of claim11, further comprising a rotatable shaft and motor to wind and unwindsaid curtain to lower and raise said curtain along the opening.
 13. Acurtain assembly for covering an opening comprising: a) an elongatedcurtain having a first end mounted at a first end of the opening, anopposing second end that is moveable between the first end of theopening and an opposing second end of the opening, and opposing lateralsides slidably attached to opposing sides of the opening; b) a track oneach of the opposing sides of the opening, wherein each track has anouter edge and an inner edge, said inner edge having a lip; c) saidcurtain having a flap attached to each of said lateral sides; d) a coverover each track, each cover being hinged to said outer edge of saidtrack, and each cover having an inner tab and an outer tab; e) each ofsaid lateral sides of said curtain fitting over said lip of said track,wherein said flap engages said inner tab of said cover and said lateraledge engages said outer tab of said cover; and f) a weighted member atsaid second end of said curtain, and spring clamps at the opposingsecond end of the opening to secure said weighted member and bias saidweighted member against said covers to bias said covers against saidtracks to maintain said curtain taut when said curtain covers saidopening; and g) a rotatable shaft and motor to wind and unwind saidcurtain to lower and raise said curtain along the opening.